Skip to main content

This auction has ended. View lot details

You may also be interested in

Own a similar item?

Submit your item online for a free auction estimate.

A Fine German Chiselled Steel Sword-Guard image 1
A Fine German Chiselled Steel Sword-Guard image 2
A Fine German Chiselled Steel Sword-Guard image 3
A Fine German Chiselled Steel Sword-Guard image 4
Lot 439

A Fine German Chiselled Steel Sword-Guard
Probably By Gottfried Leygebe, Mid-17th Century

27 November 2019, 10:00 GMT
London, Knightsbridge

Sold for £8,187.50 inc. premium

Own a similar item?

Submit your item online for a free auction estimate.

How to sell

Looking for a similar item?

Our Arms and Armour specialists can help you find a similar item at an auction or via a private sale.

Find your local specialist

A Fine German Chiselled Steel Sword-Guard
Probably By Gottfried Leygebe, Mid-17th Century

From a 'transitional' small-sword, comprising vertically recurved quillons formed in the round as unicorn forequarters each issuing from the mouth of a monster, inner-guard formed as a unicorn in the round goring one of the monsters, larger outer-guard en suite, standing over a dragon and impaling it through its mouth, the dragon's tail curled around the unicorns legs
11.5 cm. wide

Footnotes

In style and workmanship this closely resembles the guard of the only signed hilt by Leygebe, in the Victoria and Albert Museum (inv. no. M59-1947)

Gottfried Leygebe was born in 1630 at Freystadt in Silesia. After working in Nuremberg he was appointed Medallist, Coiner and Sculptor to the Elector of Brandenburg. He died in Berlin in 1668

See A. Bruhn, Der Schwertfeger Gottfried Leygebe, 1945; J.F. Hayward, Swords & Daggers, Victoria & Albert Museum, 1963, pl. 19; and A.V.B. Norman, The Rapier & Small-Sword, 1460-1820, 1980, pp. 327-28

Additional information

Bid now on these items

A Cased Pair Of Scottish 50-Bore Percussion Duelling Or Target Pistols By Alex.r Martin, Glasgow, Mid-19th Century

The medals and associate ephemera and uniforms of Arthur Watts, 6th Inniskilling Dragoons

A Pair Of Highland All-Metal Percussion Belt Pistols Signed Paton & Walsh Perth, Mid 19th century

A Silver-Mounted Left-Hand Dagger, probably German, Italian or English Late 16th Century Or Later